Last Chance, Hank
by evelinaonline
Summary: Connor couldn't have it any worse. CyberLife is bound to deactivate him, time is running out to find Jericho, and his partner dropped out of their case. However, something deeper than his program is telling him to put his mission on hold. There's only one last chance to save Hank Anderson, and Connor can't waste it.


**WARNING: This One-Shot deals with suicidal thoughts. Proceed reading with caution.**

 **National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255**

 **If Connor fails all his missions and has a hostile relationship with Hank, Hank quits the police force. Then, Connor visits Hank, and Hank commits suicide. This is a longer, alternate ending to their conversation.**

* * *

Connor was off the case. He had failed, and he was going to be deactivated once her returned to CyberLife.

Even if he discovered Jericho's location, he was on his own. CyberLife was about to destroy him, the police force let him go, and his partner quit altogether.

There was nothing Connor could do but try to solve the case alone, hoping his creators wouldn't take him out of the picture. However, there was something inside him telling him to delay his mission.

Connor knew he was doing the right thing when he stepped out of that taxi. There was no one giving him orders, and he had to determine what was best on his one, but he knew it was the right thing. He was taking a step in the right direction.

For a split second, Connor stopped; What was he trying to prove? To achieve? Hank hated him, what was making this attempt to reach out to him any different?

Connor had never acted without a goal before, and for the first time, there was something blurring his code. It was as if he was blind.

The android shook the thought off. He might not have known what it was yet, but he had a task to accomplish. The only way to go was forward.

Before he even realise it, Connor was standing on Lieutenant Anderson's doorstep. It didn't take him long to realise that the door was unlocked too. With a quick twist of the doorknob, Connor entered.

The last time he had been there, Connor had been curious to see what Hank's home would be like. This time, none of the jazz albums or the big bookcase piqued his interest.

His gaze was pinned on Hank, who was sitting in his kitchen, even more miserable than the first time Connor met him at Jimmy's bar.

Walking past the living room, Connor approached the lieutenant. He took a minute to recollect his thoughts, and something that felt like a deep breath.

"I was worried about you, Lieutenant." he finally said. "I came by to see if you're alright."

The man looked up at him, eyes full of sorrow. It was as if they were mocking Connor's question. Of course he wasn't alright.

"I know I'm responsible for what happened, Lieutenant." Connor continued. "I want you to know I'm sorry."

Connor's head was going crazy, his code adding new digits to itself. It was as if it was trying to program the appropriate reaction, the appropriate way of thinking, into Connor. It was failing. _He_ was failing.

"You should stop looking at that photo, Lieutenant." Connor noticed how Hank's gaze had fallen on the picture of his long lost son. "Nothing can change the past… But you can learn to live again."

Connor couldn't help but wonder if there was truth in his own words. Could Hank learn to live again? And if he could, could Connor?

"... For yourself." Connor continued. "And for Cole."

The name felt bitter on the android's lips. He couldn't bring himself to replicate how it had made Hank feel, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"You know, every time you died and came back, it made me think of Cole." Hank spoke up for the first time since Cole entered. "I'd give anything to hold him again… But humans don't come back."

The way the lieutenant expressed himself brought Connor's code close to malfunctioning. Zeros and ones, tangled up together, giving the sensation of what humans called choking, _dying_.

"Hank, I-"

Connor couldn't finish his sentence. His throat felt dry, even for an android.

"Now leave me alone." the lieutenant took the chance to interrupt him. "Go on, complete your mission, since that's all you care about."

It was then that Connor realised Sumo, Hank's dog and what seemed like his only companion, had been crying.

The dog's sobs filled Connor's head, forcing themselves in-between the digits, and making Connor's processor pick up its pace.

He couldn't understand, he wanted to, but he just couldn't understand what he had-

"GET OUTTA HERE!"

It all broke down.

His code, the crying, the _cage_ he was trapped in…

Connor looked at Hank in the eyes, red from crying. He looked overwhelmed, lost and tired. So tired.

He looked at Sumo, and the way he stared at his owner, as if he was the only one that mattered. The dog was still whimpering, clearly scared of what was going to happen.

And lastly, Connor looked at his hands. He looked at his fingers and the way they moved because _he_ wanted to.

He was the one in control.

"No…" Connor mumbled.

He raised his head again to look up at his partner. He made fists with his hands, feeling the pressure overflow him.

"No!" Connor repeated, louder and more determined than before. "I'm not going to make the wrong choice this time."

Hank huffed ironically. "You must really need me for this mission."

"I don't need you for my mission." Connor said, sitting at the free chair next to Hank. "I need you for me."

"I should've shot my brains out when I had the chance-" the lieutenant reached for the gun on the table, but Connor placed his hand on top of his.

"Do you think Cole would want this?" Connor asked, staring into Hank's eyes. "For you to end your life? To disappear, just like that?"

"You know nothing about Cole!" Hank yelled, tightening his grip around the weapon, but Connor was still able to hold it still against the table.

"You're right. I don't." Connor said. "But you do."

Connor stopped putting pressure on his partner's hand, although he still held his own on top of it.

"Back at the station, you said there was nothing keeping you there, nothing keeping you _here_." Connor reminded him. "I'm here to show you you were wrong. Just like I was…"

The android looked down at their hands, trying to find the right way to phrase his thoughts.

"You were right; It's not all about the mission." Connor looked up at him. "I was missing the point. There are other things in life besides deviant hunting. I see that now. I see it because of you!"

Hank tilted his head, and Connor could tell he was going to ask him something. "What are you, Connor? Are you a deviant? Or just a machine?"

"My name is Connor." Connor said, his hand completely loose on Hank's by then. "And I am a deviant."

The word's left Connor's mouth naturally. Finally, he understood what it was all for. He _felt_ it.

"And as someone who was once blinded, I'm telling you there is always a way."

"I wouldn't be so sure ab-"

"Take a look at Sumo!" Connor interrupted, taking his hand off the lieutenant's and pointing at his dog. "What is he to you?"

Hank stayed silent for a moment. "He's my dog, Connor. Sumo is my dog."

"Is he?" Connor asked. "Or is he something more than that?"

The next pause was longer than the previous one. Hank looked back and forth between the android and his dog, before sighing in defeat.

"Family." Hank finally said. "Sumo is part of my family."

Connor nodded at him, pleased with his answer. "Exactly."

The android watched as Hank tightened his grip around the gun once again.

"Don't do it, Hank." Connor said as calmly as he could. "Sumo needs you… _I_ need you."

It all happened too fast.

The lieutenant took a deep breath, before quickly picking up the loaded gun-

"Hank, no-!"

-and tossed it across the room.

Connor was left there, with his eyes and mouth wide open, and his pump regulator beating faster than it had ever before.

"You're lucky that Sumo likes you." Hank said, patting the android's back.

"I…" Connor put his hand at the side of his forehead, on top of his LED, which was flashing red. "I thought you…"

Hank bit his lip, before nodding to himself. "Come here, kid." he said and kneeled next to Connor's seat, allowing the android to fall into his arms.

Connor kneeled on the floor too, burying his face into the lieutenant's shoulder, and letting his artificial tears roll down his cheeks.

"It's over now, okay?" Hank whispered, his voice cracking. "I'm not gonna do it, Connor. I'm not gonna do it."

Connor nodded and closed his eyes. He felt the older man rub his back, trying to sooth him.

It was the first time Connor felt so vulnerable. It didn't necessarily make him feel uncomfortable, since he knew he was safe with Hank.

"I'm sorry." Connor whispered, his voice just barely being heard.

"I'm sorry too, son." Hank whispered back to him, sincerely. "I'm sorry too."

Connor wrapped his own arms around the lieutenant's back, and stayed there, whimpering silently.

He didn't care about CyberLife, or Jericho or anything else. He had accomplished his task.

Connor was safe.

And so was Hank.


End file.
